9:30am – 10:30am EDT/EST Led by TA facilitators, Katie George, and Joe Kim
Learn more about pedagogical research and educational best practices. If you are currently teaching or plan to teach in the future (in academia, industry or beyond) the EdCog journal club can help you form a foundation for best practices in your career. Join the MAC intro psych TA’s, Katie George (program manager) and Joe Kim (program director) as well as educators, educational developers, academics, students (and more) as we delve into the world of educational research.
1:00pm – 2:30pm EDT Led by Joe Kim
Education based research is a growing field that allows individuals to better understand how to create meaningful learning experiences for students. This interdisciplinary field can be enriched by any discipline. Academics from around the world have used education based research as an alternative stream of research in their labs. Join Dr. Joe Kim as he discusses education based research and its merit in academia.
12:30pm – 3:00pm EDT Led by Joe Kim
Applying findings developed in controlled-lab and classroom-based studies can lead to improved slide design which translates into durable learning that extends from short-term tests to beyond the final exam. Building on the previous workshop in which we learned how to organize the lecture structure, we will next explore the underlying multimedia learning principles that guides good slide design. We will practice as we learn about redundancy, segmentation, signaling, and coherence. Together, these workshops will provide a practical plan for delivering lectures with a cohesive message
1:00pm – 3:00pm EST Led by Joe Kim and Paulina Rzeczkowska
Applying findings developed in controlled-lab and classroom-based studies can lead to improved slide design which translates into durable learning that extends from short-term tests to beyond the final exam. Building on the previous workshop in which we learned how to organize the lecture structure, we will next explore the underlying multimedia learning principles that guides good slide design. We will practice as we learn about redundancy, segmentation, signaling, and coherence. Together, these workshops will provide a practical plan for delivering lectures with a cohesive message.
1:00pm – 3:00pm EST Led by Sarah King
Experiential learning and how to engage your students in meaningful learning (inside and outside of the classroom). Experiential learning can be applied to any discipline. It translates to academic teaching as well as industry training. Learn the art of experiential learning with expert Sarah King.
Location: Psychology Building, Room 205
Get to know your cohort. Learn more about the teaching and leadership components of the program.
Led by: Monique Armstrong Location: Psychology Building, Room 205
Review the findings from your leadership assessment.
Creating your 90 second elevator pitch: Program members will create a 90 second elevator pitch and revise their pitch within this workshop. Once perfected, it will be recorded in the MacPherson Studio at McMaster University (by our very own multimedia specialist). View some of the pitches from Cohort 4 to prepare for this deliverable (click on the MORE INFORMATION button to view their video).
Get to know your cohort and your program facilitators (Katie George, Joe Kim, Jordan Moore) Learn more about the teaching and leadership components of the program.
In collaboration with McMaster University’s Postdoc Office
Led by Joe Kim Location: LIVELab, 2nd floor Psychology Building
Postdocs are tasked with many roles, mentor, researcher, instructor, and collaborator (just to name a few). The ability to focus and prioritize what really matters takes time and deliberate planning. Dr. Kim leverages his background in cognitive sciences and educational principles to aide postdocs in creating a plan for success in their academic journey ahead.
Location: Atrium of LIVELab, 2nd floor Psychology Building
Location: ONLINE
Zoom link Meeting ID: 957 7392 3010 Passcode: 674623
Yan, V.X., Sana, F., & Carvalho, P.F. (2024). No simple solutions to complex problems: cognitive science principles can guide but not prescribe educational decisions. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 11(1) 59-66.
Led by: Katie George & Paulina Rzeczkowska Location: Psychology Building, Room 205
Learn how to create the perfect pitch and some of the key aspects of communicating your impact. Learn from Digital Media Specialist Paulina Rzeczkowska on how to present your best self to make the perfect pitch.
Led by: Wade Hemsworth Location: Psychology Building, Room 205
This workshop will prepare Program Members on how to write an Op-Ed article on the topic of their choice. Writing an Op-Ed will help members fine-tune their communication skills by writing for a lay-audience about a complex topic. Op-Eds can be published on the McCall-MacBain program website and submitted to other publication outlets (The Sil, The Spec, etc.)
Henderson, M., Bearman, M., Chung, J., Fawns, T., Buckingham Shum, S., Matthews, K. E., & de Mello Heredia, J. (2025). Comparing Generative AI and teacher feedback: student perceptions of usefulness and trustworthiness. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 1–16.
Get to know your research supervisors and hear about the interesting educational research ideas that you will be involved with this term.
Facilitator: Joe Kim Location: Psychology Building, Room 205
Learn how to navigate research in the field of education and cognition. Expand your research portfolio and learn collaborative techniques to assist you in choosing the right project for you!
Workshop – Leadership Certification
90-sec Elevator pitch – Complete and edit your 90sec elevator pitch (be ready to present it next week on camera)
Digital Media Specialist: Paulina Rzeczkowska Location: MacPherson Studio (5th floor Mills Library)
Paulina will take a series of headshot photos from which you will choose your favourite.
Filming your 90 second pitch: your script will be displayed on a telepromter during filming. You will have the opportunity to film your pitch up to 3 times.
Imundo, M.N., Zung, I., Whatley, M.C. et al. (2025). When two learners are better than one: using flashcards with a partner improves metacognitive accuracy. Metacognition Learning, 20, 3.
Location: Psychology Building, Room 205 Led by: Joe Kim
*Submit a PowerPoint slide from one of your presentations that has been problematic, leading to confusion, boredom, or miscommunication to Paulina for a slide makeover by Oct 29th.
Location: MacPherson Institute (5th floor Mills Library)
24hrs of micro teaching and learning. Facilitated using a peer-based model of feedback versus an expert model. Participants will use of an instructional design model (BOPPPS/CARD). There is a focus on guided practice, including:
Roohani, A., & Heidari Vincheh, M. (2021). Effect of game-based, social media, and classroom-based instruction on the learning of phrasal verbs. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(3), 375–399.
Location: Psychology Building, Room 205 Led by: Joe Kim & Paulina Rzeczkowska
Tasdelen, O., Bodemer, D. (2025). Generative AI in the Classroom: Effects of Context-Personalized Learning Material and Tasks on Motivation and Performance. Int J Artif Intell Educ.
Location: Psychology Building, Room 205 Led by: Sarah King
Location: LIVELab (Psychology Building, 2nd floor)
Join us in the LIVElab to experience undergraduate student talks. Assess talks based upon the principles of slide design. Discover some tips that can enhance your own research talks!
The Opposite to the Editorial report allows researchers to share their knowledge with the public. Allowing you to reach a larger audience and amplify your voice. Write, edit and submit an OpEd to popular publications such as “The Conversation Canada”
Program members will complete 24hrs of micro teaching and learning. Facilitated using a peer-based model of feedback versus an expert model. Participants will use of an instructional design model (BOPPPS/CARD). There is a focus on guided practice, including:
Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to work with a professor doing education-related work or choose to investigate their own topic. The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to select from these projects to form a research collaboration and mentoring relationship to be conducted throughout the year. The goal of this research project is to showcase the work they’ve done and to disseminate findings that will translate into prescriptions for teaching in the classroom and result in changes in policy.
In the fall term, program members will create, edit, peer review and film a 90 Second elevator pitch (with the direction of a DeGroote School of Business facilitator). Mixed media expert (Paulina Rzeczkowska) will guide program members through a perfect headshot and professional filming at the MacPherson Institute Studio.
(Fall term = ONLINE via ZOOM)
Program members will learn a foundational and historic perspective on cognition and educational research. This foundation will assist program members as they move into the winter term and facilitate one weekly journal club meeting (members will choose an article related to education and cognition and in collaboration with a partner, facilitate their own weekly IN PERSON journal club session)
During Program lunches, program members or external PDF’s from around McMaster are welcome to deliver and receive feedback on a job talk. Hear from your peers and perfect your talk to heighten your chances of getting that next job.